UP Vertical Farms commences operations at Canada’s first hands-free vertical farm

(CNW Group/Oppy)

PITT MEADOWS — UP Vertical Farms™ has commenced operations at Canada’s first hands-free vertical farm where sustainably-grown, pesticide and contamination-free baby salad greens are being produced at 350 times the yield of conventional field-grown greens.

UP’s blends of bagged baby leafy green salads will be available at select grocery retailers across Western Canada this spring.

UP Vertical Farms aims to provide a viable locally-grown solution to industry challenges by employing technology that uses 99 per cent less land, water and fertilizer, with no use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.

Using recycled CO2 and proprietary lighting technology, the greens are grown to custom brix levels and flavour profiles while lasting 22 plus days refrigerated. UP’s greens are never touched by human hands and undergo rigorous food safety testing, the products are ready to eat right out of the package.

“We are honoured to do our part to help Canada navigate its food security issues by providing a healthier, more sustainable local farming solution that reduces farming’s impact on the environment and Canadian consumers’ dependence on imports from the US,” said Bahram Rashti, co-founder of UP Vertical Farms. “Over the next few months, more Canadians will be able to enjoy our fresh and delicious salad greens as our distribution continues to grow across Western Canada.”